Power Play
by Morgana Deryn
Summary: When Evangeline finds herself dropped into Camelot she's faced with a death sentence for witchcraft. To save her life, she offers herself up as the secret weapon of King Uther. The royal family protects her in a world that's not her own in exchange for her knowledge, but Evangeline refuses to rely on them entirely. She has to balance her loyalty with her desire for independence.
1. Prologue

Evangeline was taking her usual shortcut home from her after-school job through the woods. It was a shortcut her parents didn't approve of, and, therefore, didn't know about. She huffed as her foot got caught under a root and quickly disentangled herself, adjusting the headphones in her ears. She cursed her decision to wear low heels as her foot sank into a patch of mud from the rains the night before.

A little tendril of mist uncurled from behind a tree to her right, but Evangeline was looking down, fiddling in her bag and didn't notice. It drifted closer, ebbing and flowing in the wind as it came toward her. It brushed across her eyes, and Evangeline collapsed into a heap on the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, asleep. Her bag fell from her grasp and tumbled away across the forest floor, taking her iPod with it.

A man stepped from behind the tree, old, hunched, with long white facial hair. He shuffled forwards and crouched beside her with a groan, knees popping as he did. Blue eyes surveyed her tenderly as she lay, breathing deeply. He reached out one wizened hand, any elegance the long fingers might once have had taken by arthritis and spots. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled slightly, cupping her chin.

"Might want to hurry up, love," said a woman as she stepped appeared behind him. Her hair, too, was white, falling to her hips in a long braid. She had sparkling sea-green eyes that spoke of a youthful energy belied by her aged, wrinkled face. She had the look of someone who had aged well, but who_ had_ aged.

"If someone were to come along they'd take you for some old pervert," she continued. "Where would you be then?"

"With you breaking me out of prison. Again," the man replied playfully, glancing at her. He looked back to Evangeline. "I'd forgotten how beautiful she was. I always loved her hair. I could never figure out if it was blonde streaked with brown or the other way around."

"Thank you," the woman snorted.

"Not that you aren't beautiful too," the man added hastily.

"Of course," the woman said with a smile, tossing her head saucily and setting her braid swinging. "Now come on, we're here on business, not pleasure."

"I suppose you're right," the man sighed, rising with another creak form his joints and a wince. "Come here."

The woman stepped forwards wordlessly and the two of them linked hands, standing on either side of Evangeline. Without a word, all teasing stopped and the two became serious, intent expressions painted on both of their faces. It was the man who began speaking first, and the woman took up after him. Her voice echoed his precisely, each word clear and distinct as it left their lips. Flames burst from the ground in a long oval around the three of them, licking the ends of Evangeline's hair, but not burning. They roared higher and higher as the chanters increased their volume and speed, still speaking in perfect harmony. With one last burst from the flames, Evangeline slid into the ground and vanished.

The pair dropped hands and stepped back. There was no sign anyone had laid there, no crisped leaves left behind as the fire faded, no evidence at all that anything happened. The man turned to the side and glanced at the fallen bag. He picked it up and pulled out the headphones, lifting them to his ears.

"_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age."_

"You always have music for every situation," the man said with a small smile. "Although in this case I think the old age is more accurate."


	2. Waking Up

Evangeline felt herself slowly wake up, but she kept her eyes shut. Something didn't seem right. She remembered walking home through the forest, tripping over a root, and then… nothing. It was like she'd passed out and woken up in bed.

She knew she was definitely in a bed. Just not her bed, and that made her stiffen slightly. Wherever she was, it was cold, and the air smelled damp and musty. There was a sheet thrown over her, but it helped with a chill very little, being thin and scratchy. She tensed further upon realizing there was something cold and metallic around her wrists. She was tied up, in an unfamiliar bed. All of this spelled a serious problem. By this point, her muscles were so tight she was shaking.

"I know you're awake," said a soft voice, slightly quavering with age. The surprise of hearing someone speak, and so kindly too, had Evangeline jolting upright. She catalogued three faces quickly as she crammed herself into the corner as well as she was able with her wrists tied. Blue eyes darted about frantically as she absorbed more details.

She was in some kind of dungeon, a literal dungeon, with stone walls and a barred door and manacles – one pair of which was tight around her wrists – on the walls. Three people stood about her. One was a blonde-haired blue-eyed boy her age. The other was an older man, a thick crown perched above unsmiling green eyes. The last was another man, definitely the oldest, dressed in a long red robe that pulled slightly over his ample stomach.

"Who are you?" Evangeline demanded savagely. She was lost, confused, and scared, and she went into her defensive mode. Namely, attack as well as she was able. In this case, that was limited to angry words, but she would make the best of those words and use them liberally. "Where am I?"

"You're in the dungeon of the citadel of Camelot," the oldest man said soothingly. He reached out towards her. "With a rather nasty bump on your head."

Evangeline snapped her teeth together pointedly. "Touch me and you'll lose a finger," she growled threateningly, glaring around her.

"Gaius, this is ridiculous. We're healing a witch the day before she's to be executed," the man with the crown snapped, glaring at Evangeline in a way that made her blood run cold. She'd never been looked at with such unflinching hatred before, and it chilled her.

"Now sire, we don't know she's a witch," the oldest man, Gaius, said, still using that same soothing voice, though it now seemed tinged with exasperation.

"She fell out of the sky in front of a patrol, for God's sake!" the man exclaimed. Sire, Gaius had called him. Evangeline's eyes flitted to his brow, where the gold crown rested. Camelot, Gaius had also said earlier, though at the time, defensive and scared, she hadn't registered it. As she calmed, her mind began to piece things together. Sire, Camelot, and the dragon crest on the man's ring.

"Sire, he called you," she mused aloud. "Can I ask… who are you?"

"Uther Pendragon, king of Camelot," the man said shortly. Evangeline's eyes went wide and she gasped.

"I think she knows that name," the youngest said, looking faintly amused, yet still serious as he stared at her.

"But that would mean… You're Arthur Pendragon," Evangeline said slowly, staring at Arthur with wide eye.

"Yes," Arthur said slowly, probing for a follow-up.

"No," Evangeline whispered. "No, no, no, this isn't possible!"

"What's not possible?" Gaius pressed gently.

Evangeline was lost in her own swirling thoughts. The immediate thing that popped into her mind was that she was asleep and dreaming, but she brushed that away quickly. She never dreamed this vividly, or with this much detail. She could see every wrinkle on Uther's face, every stray hair on Arthur's head. She felt the hard, cold pallet under her and felt the pain of sitting on it for so long. Everything pointed to this being real, and if it was real, then that meant…

"What year is it?" she asked softly.

"643," Arthur responded, frowning. "Why?"

"Fourteen hundred years," Evangeline whispered. "I've gone fourteen hundred years in the past."

Uther snorted. "You expect us to believe your some sort of time traveler? Very creative, but you're no more than a witch trying to get out of her execution!"

"Witches aren't real!" Evangeline exclaimed. "At least, not where I come from. Or are they?" she muttered thoughtfully. "Look at me! Do I look like I belong here? Do I sound like I belong here?" Her American accent did stick out among the consistent British tones.

"Gaius, is that ever remotely possible?" Uther demanded. "I'll admit, the girl's dress and voice are very strange."

Gaius looked at Evangeline thoughtfully and she pleaded with her eyes for him to say it was. From what she gathered, magic was outlawed, and Uther was an inch from executing her for witchcraft because, apparently, she'd just dropped out of the sky in front of a patrolling party.

"I suppose," Gaius began slowly. "With enough power… And a tie to a past time… It could be possible."

"Please, you must believe me," Evangeline said. "Your highness," she added. She realized she was still huddled in the corner and quickly straightened out into a more dignified position, her legs draped over the side of the board that served as her bed. Her arms were still twisted, but it was a bit better, and she felt more confident with her back straight and her head held high as she began to try and do what she did best: talk her way out of a situation.

"Think about it, sire," she said. "My being here is a blessing to you."

"How can you possibly be a blessing?" Uther sneered at her.

"Maybe you should hear her out, father," Arthur suggested. "She could be valuable to the realm."

"I've studied for years," Evangeline began honestly. "I know things that won't be discovered for hundreds of years. I know the outcomes of wars that haven't happened yet and how they were won. I know things about math and science that could turn Camelot into a center of learning. I can tell you the richest, safest trade routes, even teach you new battle tactics that revolutionize warfare." She praised her teachers on bended knees for possibly keeping her alive. "Think. Camelot could go down in history as the greatest kingdom that ever lived, with you at its head. King Uther the Great. You could leave behind an era of peace for your son, make your enemies fear you, make allies respect you. You could unite the land such has never been done before," she said, watching Uther carefully as she tried her hardest to paint a picture of splendor. She observed every little shift in his face. Pride was a common and fatal flaw, and she was betting that Uther had it in bucket loads. He was royal after all.

Uther's face went from skeptical, to thoughtful, to almost wistful, then closed down again as she paused. Seeing she was losing him again, Evangeline began to talk again.

"I am entirely dependent at this point. I don't know magic, I have no way to get home. I don't know where I am, how to defend myself. I don't know how to dress or how to act in this time. I have no way of providing for myself, no skills that could provide a job for someone of my standing. I'm no lady. There's no way I could leave Camelot without your approval. But you can benefit greatly from my being here. I could be your secret weapon, your ace in the hole, your trump card."

Uther's face shifted with her words. He stared at her intently. Arthur looked between his father and Evangeline, and Gaius stared fixedly at her, admiration and a bit of suspicion in his eyes. Evangeline wondered if maybe she'd played her part a bit too well.

Uther watched the girl in front of him thoughtfully. There was the chance that she was a witch, but, as Gaius had pointed out when she'd been brought in, she could just as easily be the victim of a spell, and 'no more magical than a toadstool.' In fact, her arriving in a state of unconsciousness would lend credibility to the physician's theory. The girl's dress and speech added further credibility.

In a way, her words almost unnerved him. She was no older than Arthur, possibly a year or two younger even, yet she spoke with the same eloquence and diplomacy as any queen he'd ever seen, and more than many. When she talked of what she could do, he could envision it before his eyes. An era of prosperity and piece, a golden age of Camelot. Uther the Great, a name for the history books, she had said. With a girl who had the advantages of hindsight, it very well could be just as she had said. He could see the value.

If she had studied as she said, and it was clear from her impressive vocabulary that she had, she could indeed be his 'secret weapon' as she called herself. With her as an advisor, telling him where ambushes were laid, where advantages were, he could be the head of an unstoppable army. Even the rumor that he had such a person at his side would be enough to dissuade some of his more superstitious foes.

Uther was prey to a very simple fact of human thought. He wanted to believe he could have all these advantages, and so he did. He brushed aside thoughts that she could be a witch, thinking instead of all that she could bring him, focusing on all the evidence against her being a witch - and there was, admittedly, a lot - right down to the unfamiliar blue material of her pants.

"You will sit with me when I hear petitions tomorrow," Uther said slowly. "If you can prove yourself to be useful, I will reward you with your freedom and the position you request, on the condition that you serve only Camelot. Any betrayal will result in your immediate execution without trial."

Evangeline blinked. She hadn't expected to actually become an advisor to the king. It had just spilled out of her in an attempt to keep her head attacked to her shoulders, but if she was… To have the king's ear was a powerful thing. She would be well-protected by Uther for the sake of keeping his advantage safe. Right now, the promise of safety and getting out of this dungeon was more than enough for her. Whatever was going on she could figure out later. Right now she had priorities, primarily, shelter and safety.

"Father, we don't even know her name," Arthur hissed to his father.

"If she speaks the truth, think what we could make Camelot," Uther hissed back. "Give her a room and servant, _one who we can trust to be loyal and tell us of anything suspicious._"

Arthur smiled slightly at that. He thought his father was taken in by promises of glory and gold, but no, he was still shrewd and calculating, cautious.

"What is your name?" Gaius asked, answering one of their questions as Arthur moved forwards and unlocked the chains on Evangeline's arms.

"My name is Evangeline Davies," Evangeline said as she rubbed her wrists. "Thank you, sire," she added to Uther.

"Well she's already more polite than some of the servants," Arthur said with a small smile of amusement. Evangeline looked him over. He seemed to be a friendly, if slightly pompous person. Overall, rather nice.

"Merlin doesn't mean to be rude," Gaius jumped in immediately, and Evangeline gathered that this was a conversation that happened often, right before her jaw dropped at the name. She quickly collected herself and was relieved to see that no one noticed her little slip. Of course Merlin would be in Camelot, by Arthur's side, just as the legends all said. To meet Merlin… good lord, this would be interesting.

"That fool isn't important," Uther said, waving a hand dismissively. "Arthur, have her placed in a room and provide her with a maid. And for god's sake, find her some proper clothes."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Evangeline asked, mildly offended.

"Women should not wear pants," Uther said sternly as he swept from the cell. "Especially not at court."

"Oh, right," Evangeline sighed. "Women don't wear pants for another few hundred years. Well… fudge."

"Do dresses offend you?" Arthur asked in amusement as she stood up and brushed off her pants, straightening the scarf that was still draped loosely around her throat.

"I just don't usually wear them," Evangeline shrugged. "Thank you for tending to me," she said politely to Gaius as Arthur gently took her elbow and guided her out of the cell.

"That's my job," the old man said kindly as she left.

Arthur took her out of the dungeon and up into the main part of the citadel. Evangeline fidgeted uncomfortably under the stares of the people they passed. Looking at them, she supposed she did seem downright freakish. She was glad when Arthur stopped in front of a door and opened it for her.

"Thank you," Evangeline said, slipping inside.

"I'll have a maid sent up at once," Arthur assured her.

"Thanks again," Evangeline said, fidgeting slightly. Arthur saw and knew she wanted to be left alone. He couldn't blame her. A whole new time and the threat of execution, all in one day. He'd be tired too.

Inside the room, Evangeline was collapsed against the door. She took a deep breath and slowly slid down it, resting on the ground with her head in her hands.

"Okay Evangeline, breathe," she coaxed herself. "Things happen for a reason, you're here for a reason, you're resourceful, you can do this." She banged her head back against the door and winced. "Oh, who am I kidding, I'm so totally scre-_EWED!"_

Evangeline yelped as the door was opened and she toppled backwards at the feet of a highly confused-looking young girl.

"Oh, hello," she greeted. "I'm Evangeline Davies. How ya doing?"


	3. Proving Yourself

**WARNING: This is going to get highly scientific in this chapter. You don't have to read all that if you don't want to, cuz it gets a bit dull, but Evangeline's using it to save her life and she's trying to explain things like psychology and genetics to people who still haven't figured out what germs are.**

* * *

Evangeline twitched violently as she stood beside Uther's throne, preparing for the petitioners to enter. It wasn't just the corset she'd been squeezed into or the itchy brown dress. It wasn't just the way Uther was looking sideways at her slyly, as if waiting for her to slip up and reveal herself as a witch. It wasn't just the fact that what seemed to be the entire court had turned up and was looking at her speculatively. It was a culmination of that and no sleep and the fact that she was about the play judge and a whole host of other things. The most prominent being that her life literally hung in the balance.

"The first case to be brought before his Majesty is that between Harold Mortimer and Killian Jones," announced the herald as a pair of men were escorted in, a guard walking behind them and leading a horse.

"State your case before the court," Uther nodded to them.

"He stole my horse sire!" Harold exclaimed immediately. "It was my daughter's sir, she loves it so, she's been in tears since it went missing!"

"That's a lie sire, it's my horse!" Killian refuted. "It's mine, I've had it for ages. My father gave it to me as a boy."

"Evangeline," Uther said, gesturing for her to take over.

Evangeline stepped forwards, keeping her face stony and impassive. She moved to the horse and rubbed its face, clucking her tongue lightly and trying to look like she knew what she was doing. There was absolutely no way she could know which man owned the horse. Their stories were quite similar and there were no witnesses. In fact the only difference between them was…

Evangeline smiled as she hit upon her solution. She whirled, her skirts snapping dramatically as she prepared to put on a show. Bracing her chin in one hand and hooking her elbow into her palm, she began to pace around the horse, looking it up and down.

"What are you doing?" Arthur demanded when she was on her third circle of the animal. Evangeline paused immediately and kept her eyes on the horse, using her peripherals to check that everyone was looking at her.

"Trying to decide the best way to cut a horse in half," Evangeline said matter-of-factly. The court erupted into whispers as she gestured to the guard holding the horse's lead rope. "You there, your sword, if you please?"

"Excuse me?" Uther demanded.

"I think since there's no way to tell who owns the horse, then the only fair thing is for no one to have it. But since these men both have such an attachment, they can each have half to take home and bury," she said with a smirk, and waited for the reveal.

"Cut it in half," Killian spat. "That's fair."

"No, no!" Harold panicked. "Just give it to him, it's fine."

"I thought so," Evangeline said, smiling in triumph. She waved a hand at the guard proffering his sword. No no, that won't be necessary. Harold may take his horse and return home. Killian, I believe, has some time to serve for theft."

"And how do you know this?" Uther asked, looking at her intently and wondering just what made the woman so confident about her statement.

"Sentiment," Evangeline said proudly. "Which is easier, to go home and tell a daughter that her pet was taken, or that her pet is dead? Harold insisted that the horse go to his opponent. He lost, but the horse lived. Killian, meanwhile, had nothing to lose. He had no attachment to the horse and he stole it, so he had no money invested. Thus, its death didn't perturb him."

Uther looked at her. A slow smile broke over his face and suddenly he was laughing.

"Take Killian to the dungeon and let the man have his horse," Uther laughed as Arthur stood beside him, looking equally amused. Guards stepped forwards and seized Killian, who began thrashing in their grip. He knew the penalty for theft of livestock. He would be down a finger or two before the day was out.

"You bitch, you'll regret doing this to me!" he howled as he was dragged out. Evangeline blink at him dispassionately.

"Forgive me while I go tremble in fear," she smirked. This judging was giving her the best power trip. She felt, for the first time since she'd arrived, in control of her situation. She had a say in what was happening around her, and it made her feel almost dizzy with power, in her element. She frowned at the thought.

It would appear her fatal flaw, pride, was acting up again.

"The next case," Uther said, gesturing to the guards by the doors. They opened once more and two women came in, the guard behind them carrying two bundles of blankets. One was moving, the other was not. Evangeline had a horrible feeling she knew where this was going.

"The case of Avis and Ida," the herald said.

"State your case," Uther bade.

"My lord, we both went through our pregnancies together and gave birth at around the same time," Avis said tearfully. "My baby was fine the night before, but this morning I woke to find her dead. Then I realized it wasn't my baby, but hers!" she said, pointing an accusing finger at Ida. "She's stolen my baby!"

"I have not!" Ida protested hotly. "She's jealous that my child survives and seeks to take him from me!"

Evangeline winced. Genetics were one way to tell who was telling the truth, but she didn't have that kind of technology. The only thing she could possibly remember how to do was a Punnett square for eye color, and that wasn't sure.

"Let me see the children," she said, stepping towards the guard and holding her arms out. The guard handed her the live baby. Evangeline took it softly and held it awkwardly, very uncomfortable. She knew she was still putting on the show of dispassionate judge. In a court environment, power plays were inevitable. Should she survive and be made an advisor, she needed to establish her image as a powerful sort of person from the beginning.

With deft fingers she unwrapped the baby. It blinked up at her with brown eyes and Evangeline mentally winced. If the other baby had blue eyes, then the plan of mentally figuring genetics could possibly work, but still, it wouldn't be 100%.

"The other one," Evangeline said, gesturing to the dead baby and refusing to let herself feel bad, coaching herself to think of it as just a baby doll.

"Are you sure?" the guard said, looking edgily at the dead infant and wincing.

"Quite sure," Evangeline said with a small snap in her voice, the product of tenseness. She traded infants with the guard and unwrapped it. She jerked away from the smell released by opening the sheets and made a face. She stared down at the baby, and then, to the shock of the whole court, she began to smile.

"The baby belongs to Avis," Evangeline said.

"And how do you know?" Uther pressed.

"Freudian Slip," she replied.

"Pardon?" Uther blinked.

"A complex term for a simple concept," Evangeline explained. "A man called Freud came up with it. He studied the behavior of men and women and came up with several concepts outlining psychology, human behavior. One being the idea of the Freudian Slip. It's really only an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings, something I think everything here can admit to doing at some point in time.

"When the women stated their cases, Ida referred to the living child as a 'he.' The living child is a girl, the dead one a boy. Habit made her slip, and she gave herself away. She had a son that died and tried to replace it with her neighbors daughter. I can only assume that few people have seen the babies yet, otherwise the sex change would have been noticed, so Ida thought she could get away with it."

Ida burst into tears right there on the ground, falling onto her face. "I'm a good mother," she pleaded with Evangeline. "It's not fair! I have a good house, a husband, an income. Did you know she's a prostitute?" she shrieked, pointing a damning finger at Avis, who blushed and lowered her face, ashamed. "Who does a whore's daughter live and my own sweet boy is taken?"

Evangeline coaxed her expression into a quizzical one. "Why on earth should her occupation have anything to do with her skills as a mother? That's a nonsensical argument from a desperate woman."

"Be easy on her!" Arthur snapped, stepping forwards. "Her son has just died!"

"And instead of simply accepting death as a part of life she attempted to save the _idea_ of a happy family through kidnapping and deceit. If the baby died sometime in the night and it's only a little past daybreak now, she had very little time to perform such a switch. Clearly, she wasn't so distraught by her child's death that she didn't have the capacity to come up with this farce," Evangeline shot back, waving a disgusted hand at Ida. She really couldn't feel any sorrow for the woman. A kidnapping liar who cared more for the idea of a happy child that the child itself? That was no sort of mother to be.

"She speaks the truth, Arthur," Uther said, holding up a hand to stay his son. "Give the woman her daughter back and take the other one away. She'll face charges for kidnapping. Send in the next case."

"Sir Bedwyr and his wife Lady Modron against Cilydd."

"Sir Bedwyr? This is unexpected!" Uther said, blinking as the man walked in, an arm around his wife, follow by a scruffy man. In the woman's arms was a child in swaddling clothes. Evangeline huffed. Who knew there were so many paternity and maternity issues in Medieval times?

"My lord," the knight said. "This man is casting aspersions on the honor of my wife by saying that our child was conceived with him out of wedlock, and that the child is not, in fact, my own blood."

"Should you prove yourself a good judge in this matter as you have in others, your position is assured," Uther said, nodding to Evangeline. Evangeline smiled. Perhaps genetics would help her here after all…

"Thank you, my lord," Evangeline said, moving forwards. She took the baby from the slightly reluctant mother and saw, to her delight, that the little girl had blue eyes. She looked between the two men. Sir Bedwyr had crystalline blue eyes while Cilydd had muddy brown.

"You have nothing to fear, sir," she said to the knight. "Your wife is honorable and the child is yours."

"No it isn't, he's mine!" Cilydd protested.

"All due respect, but you're a liar and for the life of me I can't figure out why you want this child so desperately," Evangeline snapped.

"Explain how you know," Uther said.

"Majesty, is that really important, so long as she knows?" Sir Bedwyr asked.

"There are other things at work here," Uther explained, taking a deep breath, and Evangeline understood, tipping her head to hide her smirk. Uther was just as much of a showman as she was. The court wasn't here out of curiosity, they had all been summoned so Uther could make a statement. She privately congratulated him on his ingenuity.

"Some of you may have heard that the patrols had a woman literally fall from the sky in front of him, and that she was brought here under suspicion of being a witch," Uther said grandly. "This is that girl." He gestured to her and Evangeline nodded to the room at large. "However, she wove an even stranger story. That she came from a time beyond this one as the victim or a spell, not its caster. You have seen her demonstrate a clearly educated grasp on concepts that have not yet been thought of, and certainly not taught to a lowborn girl.

"This was a test. Should she be able to prove that she was from a future time by displayed a grasp of knowledge not yet understood by us, she would become my advisor, able to tell me things about trade, business, war, that will increase the power of Camelot. However, should she fail to prove herself, she will immediately be taken out and killed for the crime of witchcraft. So I'll ask again, _how do you know?"_

Evangeline smiled. "Allow me to answer your question with a question. Your wife, Ygraine, had blue eyes, didn't she?"

Uther blinked at the random change of subject, utterly thrown. "Yes, she did, but… How did you know? Why is that even relevant?"

"Technically it's not relevant, but it is poignant in that I was able to guess your wife's eye color by seeing only yours' and your sons'. The appearance of a child is determined by genetics from both of the parents."

"Genetics," Uther repeated slowly. "What is this?"

Evangeline sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. How to explain a concept she herself wasn't an expert in? "Let me begin at the beginning. Your body, mine, and everyone's here is made up of tiny cells."

"Cells," Uther snorted.

"It's true. The only reason they have not yet been discovered is that the technology here is not yet capable of seeing things that small. It was found with the same technology behind magnifying glasses, only several thousand times stronger. They're called cells because they reminded the man who discovered them of the cells monks live in, all orderly and stuck together. Do you follow?" she asked.

"I understand," Uther nodded. "Whether or not I believe is another matter."

Evangeline began pacing. "Alright. Now, within these cells are tiny strands of DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA contains every detail of your physical appearance, right down to the number of hairs on your head. The information pertaining to a single aspect is called a gene. A person contains a blending of genes from their mother and father."

"And how does a child get these 'genes' from their parents?" Uther asked, pressing her. The others in the room had long since faded away and Evangeline was only aware of a battle of wits between her and Uther. If he stumped her, she died. If she proved herself, she lived. It was very simple.

"During intercourse between a man and a woman," Evangeline said, forcing herself not to blush and giggle like a child like many of the court were doing, looking highly uncomfortable, "the ejaculate of a male enters the female. This ejaculate contains thousands of cells known as sperm cells. Should a sperm cell join with one of the egg cells already present inside the female, they will combine into a single cell and attach to the lining of the womb to begin to grow into an infant. The cell will split into more and more cells as the fetus develops to term and emerges as a child. That's how the information from the mother and father gets to the child. Does that meet your satisfaction?" Evangeline pressed. "May I return to my original line of thought?"

"Proceed," Uther said, waving a hand, though she could see he was frowning and trying to work his way through her words. She could see Gaius off to the side, listening intently. As the court physician, Evangeline assumed he was incredibly interested in what she was saying. A boy next to him though, a dark haired boy her age, was looking at her and frowning, not in confusion, but in dislike.

Merlin froze as the girl's eyes landed on him. He tried to get the frown off his face, because he knew that someone as observant and intelligent as she had proven herself to be would undoubtedly see and make some kind of deduction about it, and he really didn't want her as an enemy. Even if she couldn't stand up to him in a fight, he had a feeling that her, quite frankly dizzying, intellect could come up with some sort of way to harm him. There was also her smirking, arrogant demeanor that was obvious as she strutted around the room and gave judgments. That, and the dispassionate way she passed judgment. She'd sentenced a man to lose some fingers and a woman to prison and whether she knew that or not – who knew what laws were like if she really came from the future – it was the dispassionate, careless way she'd done it. It irked him and made him dislike her almost instantly.

Evangeline saw the dislike in the boy's gaze and paused only for a moment before continuing. Who cared if one person didn't like her, so long as Uther did and kept her alive? She wasn't here to make friends. She was here to stay safe and possibly work out a way to get home, although she didn't have terribly high hopes.

"These genes are either dominant or recessive. Recessive genes require the genes to be present in the information from both the mother and the father to appear. Dominant genes will make themselves known in the child's appearance no matter what. Eye color is like this. Blue eyes are recessive, and require the gene from both mother and father. Arthur has blue eyes, so I know that both you and your wife had blue eyes." Evangeline said. Not technically true, but it was the most likely possibility. "This child has blue eyes, so I know both its parents did as well. Sir Bedwyr has blue eyes. Cilydd had brown. The child is Sir Bedwyn's," Evangeline concluded.

Uther sat back in his throne, stunned.

"May I present my new advisor, the Lady Evangeline Davies," he said, his voice echoing in the courtroom. Evangeline let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Next case."


	4. Fealty and Fighting

Evangeline kept her face carefully blank throughout the rest of the judging, cautious of showing any relief on her face whatsoever. She was loathe to let people see how terrified she had been. The judging went smoothly after that and Evangeline fell into a rhythm. Some were harder than others, but many things she was able to solve behind a shadow of a doubt. True petitions to the crown Uther handled himself while Evangeline stood beside his throne and watched.

When the day was finally over, Evangeline made gratefully for her room, only to be stopped by Uther.

"Hold, Lady Evangeline," he called as she made to slip out the door. Evangeline turned to see Uther, Arthur, Gaius, and that dark-haired boy still standing there.

"My lord?" she asked, folding her hands behind her back and dipping her head respectfully.

"You proved yourself admirably today," Uther complimented her, and Evangeline smiled in acknowledgement and gave her thanks, but she sensed something else coming on the heels of that thought, and she wasn't disappointed.

"You are a great advantage to Camelot, and as such, many of my enemies will seek to sway you to their side, or to kill you. I cannot allow either of these to happen."

"Self-preservation _is_ one of my highest priorities," Evangeline replied drily. "What did you have in mind, sire?"

"Firstly, you will swear an oath of fealty to me," Uther said. "Are you familiar with the concept?"

"Yes, but isn't it usually used awarding land to vassals for military service?" Evangeline frowned. "And, more specifically, given by _men?_"

Uther coughed slightly. "Your gender is of… little consequence. Your usefulness cannot be denied. Are you familiar with the words of an oath of fealty?"

"Let me see if I have this right," Evangeline said, thanking her scarily strict and history-obsessed teacher for making them memorize that at one point for extra credit. She knelt before Uther and began to recite solemnly, "I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to King Uther Pendragon of Camelot, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit."

"Good," Uther praised, looking pleased. "You may rise."

"Thank you," Evangeline said, standing. "You said firstly. What, may I ask, is secondly?"

"Secondly, I must know if you can defend yourself from possible assassins."

Evangeline paused, thinking fast, and knowing that too long a pause would cast aspersions on her truthfulness. To say yes, she was capable of fighting, had studied kung fu for several years, would possibly be giving away her own secret weapon, and it would be wise not to do such a thing. She was relying on Uther to keep her safe, that didn't by any means imply she wanted to rely on him for everything. She had to keep some things to herself.

"No," she said. "I'm not capable."

"Then Arthur will help you find a weapon and tutor you in its use. He is our very best fighter," Uther praised his son.

"I'll be happy to help you learn," Arthur added, though by the surprised look he gave his father he hadn't been in on this. "Anything in particular you'd like to learn to use? Are you even familiar with weaponry?"

Evangeline coughed. "My knowledge of swordplay can be boiled down to 'stick them with the pointy end.' However, I have used a bow before, with a moderate amount of success." This was honest, thanks to a summer camp.

"Then an archer you shall be," Uther said with a nod. "Arthur will train with the knights for the rest of the day. You're welcome to join them, or you may formally begin your training tomorrow morning."

"Thank you sire, but I'd like to spend my day in solitude," Evangeline said.

"Then you shall have it," Uther said, waving a hand to her. "You are dismissed."

"Good day," Evangeline said as she dropped into a curtsey and swept from the room. She didn't usually wear dresses, but she had to admit, she felt delightfully dramatic swooping around with wide skirts moving around her.

She didn't know it, but after she left, she became a subject of immediate debate.

"She seems almost a different person from inside the cell," Gaius said, shaking his head.

"How so?" Merlin asked. He was the only person that hadn't seen Evangeline down in the dungeons.

"She was violent, lashing out, when she first woke up," Gaius explained. "Then she heard the king's name and seemed to recognize it. She immediately seemed to calm down, like it was familiar."

"She talked about you perhaps making a kingdom for the history books," Arthur said. "But if she knew who you and I were, then wouldn't that mean that we managed to do that on our own?"

"Not necessarily," Gaius said, shaking his head. "Time is a fragile thing. If she knew about Camelot because it went down in history, it's possible that it only happened because she came here, in which case it was meant to happen."

"I have no idea what you just said," Arthur said after a brief pause.

"I don't understand what I'm talking about either, that's my point!" Gaius insisted.

"Oh, is that what your point was?" Merlin muttered.

"Your highness, may I keep Merlin for the day?" Gaius requested of Arthur. "I need him to clean my leech tank."

Arthur glanced at Merlin, eyes sparkling, as Merlin shook his head frantically and begged with his eyes.

"Why of course Gaius," Arthur said politely. "I wouldn't dream of taking Merlin away from your leeches."

"Thank you, highness," Gaius said with a nod.

"Gaius, you're dismissed," Uther said.

"Of course," Gaius said. He bowed slightly and left the room, Merlin trailing after him.

"Alright what was that about?" Merlin said suspiciously. "I know you cleaned your leech tank not two weeks ago."

"I want to know what was happening with your face during the petitions," Gaius said calmly as they walked.

"My face?" Merlin said blankly.

"Yes, your face. Loathe as I am to admit this Merlin, you do have quite good instincts when it comes to whether people mean the kingdom harm or not. And you had a face."

"Most people do," Merlin said, nodding slowly.

"Merlin!" Gaius huffed. "You know what I mean!"

"I just… think she's a bit arrogant. She seems entirely too happy to have this position."

"Merlin," Gaius frowned. "You are being a bit hard on her. You may not realize this, but being advisor to the king is a very dangerous position."

"Oh yes, very dangerous, having the king listen to your every word."

"Dangerous for that very reason!" Gaius insisted. "By having the king's ear she's in a position of power, and that means that she can either be an invaluable ally or a dangerous enemy to those at court with an agenda. She could sway the king against a plan of someone's. Most advisors don't last long."

"Why not?" Merlin asked curiously. He hadn't thought about it, but it sounded logical.

"They're murdered."

()()()()()()

Evangeline sat on the edge of her bed tiredly the next morning, running a hand over her hair. She reached up angrily and yanked her hair out of its braid, yanking her fingers through it roughly, not flinching at the pain. Uther had saved her, and bound her even closer to her. She'd have to tread carefully from here on out.

"My lady?" said Dwyn, her handmaiden, poking her head inside the door. "The king has sent your uniform."

"I have a uniform?" Evangeline blinked.

Dwyn spread the dress onto the bed. It was a long red dress with black panels on either side. A red rope belt draped around her hips, tying at her waist and dangling to the ground in a tassel, bound every few inches with gold clasps. It had long sleeves and black panels that came up under her arms, tying across her chest and stomach. A black ruffle topped the off-the-shoulder neckline. Next to it was a black comb with a veil attached.

"What's this?" Evangeline asked, holding up the veil.

"The king wishes you to cover your face so that your face isn't known to everyone," Dwyn explained. "Also, you're to meet Arthur as soon as you're ready to begin your training."

"Well I'm not covering my face to go fight," Evangeline huffed, tossing the veil down. She walked to her original clothes, the ones she'd arrived in, tossed over the top of her changing screen. She pulled down her jeans and the thin brown shirt. She stripped off her nightgown and dressed in her old clothes, pulling on flat boots.

"Are you sure that's appropriate?" Dwyn said hesitantly.

"No, in fact, I'm positive it's not," Evangeline said. "But let's you Arthur try and fight in a dress and veil."

With that, Evangeline left the room. She'd wandered as much as possible, getting a lay of the land, so to speak, and knew where most of the important rooms were. She found her way easily out onto the training field and was immediately being stared at by surprised men.

"Are you lost ma'am?" one knight asked, looking at her sympathetically.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Prince Arthur down here," Evangeline said calmly.

"Lady Davies!"

"That'll be him," Evangeline said, nodding goodbye to the knight as she walked across the grass towards Arthur. She was glad she had a long-sleeved shirt, seeing as the wind was fairly chilly.

"Ready for your first day of fighting lessons?" Arthur asked her as she approached. Evangeline cocked her head at him curiously.

"Yes, but answer a question for me first please. Why do you seem to be the only one here who's not unsettled by a woman with a weapon."

"Morgana," Arthur said with a slight wince. "My father's ward. She's as dangerous with a sword as half my knights."

Evangeline blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say Morgana?"

"You've heard of her?" Arthur reasoned shrewdly.

"I have," Evangeline nodded, mind spinning.

_So the stories got it wrong. Morgana isn't his sister. She's his… foster sister, if anything. But one thing doesn't change, and that's that she is an enemy to Arthur. It seems he just doesn't know it yet. _

"If you don't mind me asking," Arthur asked, leaning forwards and coughing. "What did you, er, learn about me… where you come from?"

Evangeline smirked. He wanted his ego stroked? Alright, fine… "King Arthur Pendragon is one of the most well-known kings of legend. An excellent swordsman, and a beloved king, who is considered to be one of the greatest men who ruled worldwide."

"Really?" Arthur said, looking shocked. "Guess I've got a lot to live up to," he said weakly.

"A legend," Evangeline said with a nod. "But don't worry. Most things are exaggerated in the stories I've heard. As more time passes, things become muddled. Very little fact is actually known about you." She saw Merlin advancing, struggling to keep a grip on a bow, a quiver, a longsword, and a few knives. "for example," she said as he pulled up near them. "Merlin is usually portrayed as your loyal advisor, not your manservant."

"Right, the day I take Merlin's advice is the day I'll lock myself up for insanity," Arthur scoffed, seizing the sword from Merlin. "Give me that before you fall over."

"It's a lot to carry!" Merlin protested. "And why wouldn't you listen to me? I give great advice!"

"Right," Arthur said, shaking his head disbelievingly.

"I'll take that," Evangeline said, pulling the bow from Merlin's arms.

"Have you ever fired a bow before?" Arthur asked as he beckoned Merlin to dump the remaining weapons on the ground.

"At summer camp," Evangeline nodded. "But that was a compound bow."

"A what?" Arthur asked blankly, thrusting the bow at her.

"Erm, it works on a system of pulleys. It's easier to draw," Evangeline explained, taking the bow.

"Okay, so here's how you start out," Arthur said, taking her shoulders softly and positioning her in front of a target. "These go at your waist," he said, proffering the quiver to her. Evangeline took it, quickly figuring out how to attach it to a belt loop of her jeans.

"So show me how you would grip it," Arthur said. "We'll start there."

Evangeline gripped the bow in her left hand and raised it, being sure not to truly grip it, but to let it rest in the joint between her thumb and pointer fingers. If she clenched, it would shift her arm into a position where it would likely be hit by the string. With her right hand, she gripped the string using her three middle fingers, holding it in the first joint.

"Good," Arthur said, pleasantly surprised by her competence. "Just shift your shoulders a little bit," he said, adjusting her stance slightly. "Now, try and draw the bow. Don't worry if it's hard. We don't actually have any bows made for women-" Evangeline cut him off as she calmly took a breath and pulled the string back smoothly.

"Oh," Arthur blinked. "Well…. Alright then."

"Just tell me what to do, and don't make concessions just because I'm a girl," Evangeline said tartly.

"Sorry," Arthur said, holding up his hands.

The lesson went much more smoothly once Arthur stopped paying attention to the fact that she was a girl trying to learn to use a bow and started actually trying to teach her to use a bow. After a while of that, he taught her a few quick tricks with a dagger for close-quarters combat and in case she was caught without a bow.

Once she got down and dirty and started fighting in earnest, Arthur stopped giving her liberties and knocked her onto her rear more than once. Evangeline glared at Merlin when he chuckled at her, sprawled on the ground. Arthur noticed the dark look.

"Merlin, why don't you take over for a while?" Arthur said innocently. Merlin looked up at him with wide-startled eyes.

"What?"

"So I can watch as an outsider and see if there are things I'm missing from this position," Arthur said logically.

"Oh, er, alright," Merlin said. He took the dagger from Arthur and took a state across from Evangeline.

"Your footwork is good," Arthur complimented. "Are you sure you've never done any fighting before?"

Merlin came at Evangeline with a simple thrust. Instead of the block Arthur had taught her, she flipped the knife around in her hand so that the flat rested along her forearm. She blocked at Merlin's elbow, her other hand shooting forwards under his chin and seizing the shoulder that was angled slightly away from her. She shifted her foot forwards behind one of his and yanked him backwards. Merlin toppled to the ground with a startled cry, a tangle of gangly limbs.

Arthur blinked at her, and then started laughing when he glanced at Merlin, still lying on the ground, blinking like he couldn't figured out what had happened.

"It's been years," Evangeline said, calmly sliding back into a normal stance. "But I have fought before. Just not in any way you'd recognize. I wasn't sure if I still remembered…"

"Clearly, you do," Merlin grumbled from the ground.

"Don't be such a sore loser, Merlin," Arthur chuckled. "Come, on your feet."

Evangeline reached a hand down to help him up, feeling a bit guilty for knocking him down. Clearly, Merlin didn't get a whole lot of respect around here. She felt bad for making it worse. She also knew he had some sort of aversion to her, though why, she didn't know. Evangeline was trying to fix it so that they perhaps could get along civilly, even if being friends wasn't in the cards.

Merlin looked up at the offered hand skeptically, then took it and hauled himself upright. Evangeline smiled at him and he blinked as if surprised.

"I haven't done that in a while," Evangeline explained. "It was fun!"

"For you maybe," Arthur said drily. "Not so much for him."


	5. Reality

Evangeline began to settle into Camelot as weeks passed. Occasionally Uther would call upon her to advise him in some sort of business venture with another kingdom. Once or twice he had just asked her to sit with him and tell him things she knew. Other than that, she spent most of her time in her room reading.

Because of her reading, and her love of learning, Evangeline quickly got on good terms with the librarian, Geoffrey. She was in and out at least one every two days reading everything she could get her hands on, even a thick tome on gemology which Geoffrey had raised an eyebrow at seeing her bent over curiously.

When she was in her room without a book she was talking with Dwyn, her handmaid, or occasionally another handmaiden named Gwen who Evangeline had been delighted to meet once realizing she was addressing the future queen. They were both very sweet and helped her with all the customs and traditions of the time, teaching her about what was rude and what was alright.

Evangeline had met Morgana during her first few days in Camelot. The girl had sought her out, fascinated by the idea of the future. She'd asked about women's roles and the fashions and hairstyles. She seemed awed and delighted by the idea of women in the military and in positions in business equal to men. The concept of miniskirts and shorts made her blush. Despite their friendly conversations, Evangeline had already decided that it was better safe than sorry and kept an emotional distance, treating it as if she were a professor lecturing a very attentive class of one.

Nothing of too much note happened until the construction got underway on the castle. Evangeline, who loved her sleep like nothing else, was one of the first to visit Gaius for a sleeping aid. The result was that she was slightly punchy and fighting sleep as she trouped down to the construction site where the king had summoned her.

"What's up?" Evangeline said blearily as she slipped inside, staring around. "Oh, never mind. Random tomb full of treasure. Got it."

The king looked at her in surprise. "Lady Evangeline, are you alright? You look exhausted."

"I took a potion to knock me out before I came down here. Didn't think I'd have to get back up. Currently I'm fighting the urge to curl up on the ground and take a nap," Evangeline said with a small smile.

"What do you think?" Uther pressed eagerly.

"I think the sky is blue and the grass is green," Evangeline deadpanned. "You'll have to be more specific. I'm useless at deductive reasoning when I'm tired."

"How old do you think it is? Whose do you think it is?" Uther asked eagerly.

Evangeline looked around, prodding at sacks of gold and jewels, running her fingers around the patterns beaten into urns.

"If I had to guess, I'd say a lot of this stuff is Roman in origin," she said with a yawn. "The patterns on these urns plus the coins in here," she said, nudging a sack of coin with her foot. "As far as whose tomb this is, I have no idea. I'm guessing look for some guy who liked crows," she said, gesturing to the huge statue of one. She crossed to the tomb and whistled when she saw the huge blue stone in the shape of a heart resting on the carved chest of the occupant. "Well, isn't that shiny? Sure puts the Hope diamond to shame."

"The Hope diamond?" Arthur said blankly.

"Diamond, real dark blue, about this size," Evangeline said, holding up her fingers a short distance apart in a guess. "Supposed to be cursed. I saw in once, in a museum."

Evangeline suddenly shrieked and jumped back as she saw the body of a man sprawled by the end of the tomb. His face was an unhealthy shade of grey, eyes red-rimmed and staring up blankly.

"What is it?" Gaius asked, stepping forwards.

"Nothing, just a random dead person, don't warn a girl or anything!" she exclaimed, putting a hand over her heart. "Well I'm not tired anymore," she huffed.

"Magnificent," Uther said, holding up a necklace with a large ruby dangling from it.

"Ah ah ah!" Evangeline said, slapping his hand sharply and making his drop the necklace. "No touching!"

"Why not?" Uther demanded. "By rights it belongs to Camelot!"

"Fine fine, you want to go catching fatal illnesses because you didn't excavate properly, be my guest!" Evangeline said, throwing up her hands.

"Fatal illnesses?" Uther said slowly.

"Yeah. Leave things buried long enough and sometimes mold grows that can be fatal if you breathe it in."

"What would you recommend?" Uther said, trying to subtly cover his nose. "Just leave everything down here?"

"No, I don't see that happening," Evangeline said, rolling her eyes. "But I'd recommend the people carrying things up wear cloths over their mouths and noses. And gloves. And everything should be washed in as hot as water as they can stand. That should be enough precaution. Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed."

"That's acceptable, Arthur can handle organizing the guard," Uther nodded.

"Awesome," Evangeline sighed in pleasure. She pointed to the door, announced "Modern girl out!" and swept from the room.

"She's entertaining when she's tired," Arthur muttered.

* * *

Evangeline stepped out of her room into the hall, thinking about a trip to the library. She was much more alert this time when she saw Merlin, which wasn't really a surprise, considering it was only a little past noon. What was surprising though was his bowed face covered in... mud?

"Merlin?" Evangeline called out in surprise.

"I'm sorry Lady Evangeline, I have duties to attend to," Merlin mumbled, trying to slip past her. She caught him by the arm and turned him to face her, frowning. He looked highly upset, and the mud on his face… Evangeline leaned forwards and inhaled, before drawing back, wrinkling her nose.

"Horse manure? Merlin, what happened?"

"It's nothing," he said, trying to shrug her off.

"No, it's not," Evangeline insisted, grabbing his arm. She swung her door open and pulled him inside, sitting him down on the edge of the bed.

"You don't have to help me," Merlin said sharply as she poured water from the jug on her washing stand into a basin and picked up a washrag. "I can handle this myself."

"Yes, you can, but as you seem not to like me very much, I'm taking advantage of this situation to try and show you I'm not a complete and total arrogant bitch. I'm just a little bit of an arrogant bitch," Evangeline said, nudging a stood over in front of him and sitting down with a wink. Merlin blinked at her language and looked away.

"I don't have a problem with you."

"Ah, you lips say you don't but your eyes say you do," Evangeline sing-songed as she dipped the rag into the water and began to wash the manure off of his forehead. "So, what happened?"

"It's nothing for you to concern yourself with, my lady," Merlin said softly. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all, he thought as she dipped the washrag into the water. Evangeline sighed.

"I hate it when people call me my lady," she admitted. "Please just call me Evangeline. Where I come from we don't have a monarchy or a court. I'm just a farm girl."

"Really?" Merlin blinked. Normally farmers could do figures, and that was about it. Evangeline seemed to have all the training of the wealthiest of nobles and more. "But you're so… well-educated."

"We have to go to school for a certain number of years where I come from, regardless of gender or social standing," Evangeline said. "Close your eyes," she added before rubbing softly across his eyelid. "And I was never very good at making friends, so I spent most of my time with the horses or in the woods reading. So I might be a bit more understanding than you'd think," she finished.

So Merlin told her all about Cedric and what had happened with the horses.

"I just wish that Arthur would see me as a loyal servant instead of… an idiot," he finished lamely.

Evangeline bit her lip for a moment, debating about whether or not to say what was on her mind, and then spoke anyway. "Well, whether or not Arthur recognizes you for your contributions, the world will."

"What?" Merlin said blankly.

Evangeline put the rag in the bowl and set it aside on the ground, having gotten rid of as much manure as she could.

"I first heard about Merlin when I was six years old, in a story my grandmother read to me," she recalled. "I read it over and over because I liked it so much. It was almost five years later before I ever heard about Arthur or Camelot. To be honest, I was excited to meet Arthur when I realized where I was, but I was more excited to meet you."

"People remember me?" Merlin said, sounding skeptical. "They wrote books about me?"

Evangeline sighed and began to recite.

"_O Merlin in your crystal cave  
Deep in the diamond of the day,  
Will there ever be a singer  
Whose music will smooth away  
The furrow drawn by Adam's finger  
Across the memory and the wave?  
Or a runner who'll outrun  
Man's long shadow driving on,  
Break through the gate of memory  
And hang the apple on the tree?  
Will your magic ever show  
The sleeping bride shut in her bower,  
The day wreathed in its mound of snow  
and Time locked in his tower?"_

"Wow," Merlin breathed. "I can't believe you memorized all that… and about _me._"

"I can only recite a handful of poems from memory," Evangeline admitted. "My grandmother could recite hundreds. But I really liked that one."

"But that bit about magic," Merlin said hastily. "That's ridiculous. I mean, me, having magic. What a joke." He laughed nervously. She just blinked at him.

"Merlin was known to be the greatest sorcerer that ever lived," she said calmly. "And, before you panic, I'm not going to tell anyone."

"You know?" he hissed under his breath. "That I have… magic?"

"Since I was young, before I even met you," Evangeline nodded. "It's part of the reason I liked the character of Merlin so much more than Arthur. The ideas of dragons and magic always fascinated me as a child," she admitted with a blush. "It's a bit embarrassing, now that I'm sitting here telling you about this."

Merlin just stared at her. She knew his secret… She wasn't going to tell anyone… _And_ she preferred him over Arthur? Now _that _was a large boost to his ego right when he needed it!

Evangeline cleared her throat and stood up abruptly. "Well, come by any time, my door's always open," she shrugged self-consciously. "I'm willing to be a sympathetic ear. And a clean up crew, although, try not to make a habit of getting manure all over your face."

"I'll try and avoid it," Merlin said, laughing slightly as he stood up and went for the door. "My lady?"

"Evangeline," she corrected.

"Right, Evangeline. Erm, thanks," he said.

"You're welcome," she chirped.

* * *

Evangeline wasn't sure why it had never occurred to her that this time was dangerous. Perhaps because she'd been swept up in the majesty and magic of Camelot. She'd forgotten the reality of this world, famine, war, magical beasts that raided the populous.

"We need more water!" Gwen said as she scurried around the sickroom, helping to tend to those wounded by the attacking gargoyles. Morgana bustled about as well, and Evangeline did her best to help even though medicine wasn't her area of expertise. She was almost choked by the smell of blood. She hadn't even realized blood had a _smell _until now.

Merlin. Why wasn't he doing something? Shouldn't he have fixed this by now?

"Gwen, have you seen Merlin?" Evangeline asked, grabbing the harried serving girl by the arm as they passed in their duties.

"Last I heard Arthur'd thrown him in a cell for the rest of the day," Gwen said irritably, but then she froze. "You don't think-" The girls exchanged pale-faced looks and Evangeline took off at a sprint for the courtyard.

"Evangeline no, it's too dangerous!" Gaius called out after her as he saw her racing out, but Evangeline was already gone.

Bodies littered the courtyard, some bedecked in the armor and red tunics of knights, others were peasants who hadn't quite made it to the safety of the Citadel. Evangeline forced herself not to look at them as she turned and raced into the Citadel. She staggered as her foot caught the hem of her dress and slammed face-first into the stone floor with a shriek. Blood burst in her mouth as she bit her tongue, her nose cracking. Evangeline stood up shakily and leaned against the wall, mind grasping desperately for something to distract from the pain.

Merlin, she recalled. He'll fix this.

She shook her head once to clear it and winced as her nose throbbed anew. She hiked up her skirts in her hands and then took off running again to the dungeon. It got darker and darker as she descended, lit only by torches.

"Evangeline!" Merlin exclaimed when he saw her. His eyes widened in concern at the blood covering her hands and dripping from her chin.

"I'b fide," she said, wincing at the way she sounded and how she must look. "We deed to ged you oud."

"What's going on out there?" Merlin asked as he stared at the lock intently. "Stand back."

Evangeline quickly retreated as Merlin, eyes glowing with golden magic, commanded, "Tóspringe!"

The door blasted off its hinges and Merlin clambered out. "Gargoyles are addacking," she said as he came towards her. "Dought you bighd be able do- Whad are you doing?"

Merlin had gripped her chin and was squinting at her face. Evangeline flushed and was glad for the layer of blood over her cheeks to hide it.

"Hold still," Merlin commanded, bits of gold sparking in his eyes. "Forbærning!"

Evangeline yelped slightly as a burning sensation traveled across her face, as if she'd sat too close to a fire for too long. She touched her nose gently as the burning faded and found that it was perfectly healed, not so much as a bump to show it had ever been broken.

"Thank you," Evangeline said, looking up at Merlin in awe. He beamed at her and she found herself flushing again. Evangeline quickly collected herself and said tartly, "But don't waste your magic on me. You have bigger fish to fry."

"Right," Merlin said, his face going serious as it had been a few moments before. "Come on!"

He grabbed her hand and Evangeline staggered after him as he pulled her through the hallways back up to the courtyard. With a spell, Merlin made an attacking gargoyle explode.

"Wait here," he said sternly, turning and placing his hands on her shoulder. That said, Merlin sprinted out into the mist of fog and dust covering the courtyard. Evangeline sank down against the wall and panted, trying to regain her breath as she waited and listened. Words were distorted, and she couldn't see through the mist. She just sat there, trembling, and waited.

How could she have thought this was some big, grand adventure, where none of the heroes died and everyone came back together at the end for one big happy scene? That wasn't real life. That was a story. The stories of Arthur had become real life for her, and there went all the romance of courtly life and magical beasts. There was evil in the world, and with magic, that evil could be a truly staggering force. Had she expected to simply live a gilded life? When had she donned rose-colored glasses?

Evangeline had never felt so staggeringly stupid in her life.

A dark form ventured out into the courtyard and Evangeline scuttled to her feet. She realized she'd been sitting there for nearly half an hour, curled into a little ball and feeling sorry for herself. When had she become so weak?

"Hello?" she called softly.

"Evangeline?" came Gaius's voice as the figure paused.

"Gaius!" she said in relief, rushing towards him. The mist parted around her and his old face broke into a smile as he saw her.

"You're alright," he said happily, before his face went serious. "Have you seen Merlin?"

"He went off to fight," Evangeline said worriedly. She began drifting through the courtyard at Gaius's side, looking for a flash of a red shirt or blue neckerchief.

"Is that Arthur?" Evangeline said, squinting at a fallen blonde-haired knight.

"Merlin?" Gaius called hesitantly, eyes looking around. The mist shifted, revealing a dark shape. It came forwards, and Merlin's face appeared, but it was deadly serious. Gaius and Evangeline looked at him worriedly. Had something happened?

But then his face broke into a grin and he held up the glowing blue heart-shaped stone from the treasure trove and Gaius and Evangeline smiled back at him, relieved.

"Well done, my boy!" Gaius chuckled, clapping Merlin on the back and hugging him tightly. Evangeline met his eyes over Gaius's shoulder and smiled at him proudly before turning and venturing back into the Citadel.

* * *

Evangeline was sitting in her room later that night – actually it was early morning – when a knock sounded on her door. She looked up in surprise. Everyone sane was either asleep or helping with the cleanup. Why they would need her was beyond her.

"Come in!" she called wearily, and the door opened, revealing Merlin. He had cleaned up and was looking around hesitantly.

"M-M-Merlin," she said around a yawn. "What's up?"

Merlin glanced up in confusion. "Erm… the ceiling?"

Evangeline chucked tiredly. "Sorry, modern expression. I meant, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright," he said, seemingly nervous. "I mean, you've said your time isn't quite as… as violent as this one, and I just thought that-"

"I'm fine," Evangeline said, and then frowned. "Well, I take that back. I'm not fine. I'd never seen a dead body before today. But I_ will_ be fine."

"You should get some rest," Merlin suggested, looking at her. She was clad in her nightgown, but her bed was untouched. "That'll help."

Evangeline gave a shaky sigh. "I considered it. But… every time I close my eyes I see those gargoyles and all the faces of the people who were hurt. I was always the logical one. I never believed in monsters under my bed, even when I was little... But tonight…"

"You'll get used to it," Merlin assured her. "Well, maybe used to it isn't right, but you'll get better at coping."

"I hope so. I've never been so afraid as I was tonight."

"You didn't seem afraid," Merlin said, trying to recall one moment when he'd seen fear on her face or in her eyes. "You seemed… pretty pulled together, actually."

Evangeline chuckled. "I'm an incredible actress," she chuckled, flicking a hand dramatically. "I've been playing my way out of things since I was seven." She wrinkled her nose. "Which isn't actually something to be proud of. Or is it? Oh, I'm too tired to analyze morals right now!"

Merlin chuckled. Evangeline was usually very calm and put together and formal, standing up straight and holding herself proudly. But when she was tired her tongue got looser and she slumped wearily, jabbering nonsensical things at times. He got the feeling that when she was tired she acted more the way she would if she were still in her time, but when she was awake, she acted as was expected. IT was an odd contrast, but an intriguing one.

"Well, I'll leave you to get some sleep," Merlin said, blushing again as he recalled how inappropriate it was for him to be in her room so late. He'd wrestled with himself for quite a while about whether or not to check on her before deciding to go for it after seeing a light still burning in her room.

"Good night Merlin," Evangeline said, slumping forwards on the table and bracing her head on her arms.

"If you're going to sleep, you should go to bed," Merlin advised hesitantly. She looked up at him with one eye and smirked.

"That's entirely too much effort. I mean, the bed's all the way over _there!_"


End file.
